Games that change your mind

KatjaGrace's LessWrong post 'Games that change your mind' dissects how video games can instill profound, non-obvious life lessons. Unlike games that teach trivia or typing, these titles shift core mental frameworks. Dominion, a deck-building game, teaches players not to invest for eternity—a lesson in short-termism and the folly of over-optimizing when the end is near. The Witness strips away all collectibles and points, leaving only knowledge as the currency. Players realize that learning is a tangible asset that unlocks new areas, mirroring how real-world understanding opens doors. Minecraft offers insights into living as a 'world spirit' with expanded boundaries of identity. Return of the Obra Dinn transforms networking by invoking natural curiosity: the game's detective mechanics can be applied to remembering names and stories at events.

The post also highlights Dungeons & Dragons, where concepts like 'will saves' foster empathy for failures, and the six stats provide a framework for diverse competencies. Poker teaches the feeling of being 'on tilt', while games like Boggle and Ragnarock evoke flow states. Grace argues these experiences are not mere escapism but practical mindware: they update how we perceive time, knowledge, curiosity, and failure. The article resonates deeply with the rationalist community, offering a meta-cognitive toolkit for everyday life. It challenges the notion that games are trivial, positioning them instead as vehicles for transformative, experiential learning that can change how we think beyond the screen.